The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) sold $1.64 billion in foreign exchange through the spot market in the first half of 2026, with March alone accounting for about 58% of the total. The CBN’s Q2 2026 Statistical Bulletin contains the figures.
Spot sales rose from $53 million in January to $225.1 million in February, before jumping to $950.1 million in March—the highest monthly level in the period. Sales then fell to $100 million in April, rose to $150 million in May and closed the half-year at $159.57 million in June.
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The CBN also sold $20.37 million to Ministries, Departments and Agencies during the period, while total reported FX sales across all categories reached about $1.67 billion.
The first-half spot-sales figure is far below the $8.20 billion the apex bank sold in the whole of 2025, although the comparison covers six months against a full year. Nigeria’s total FX demand had risen 91% to $50.93 billion in 2025, its highest level in six years.
